Guys...the Angels have won three games since the deadline. And lost 9. Now, I'm not saying they should have traded Ohtani, I'm not saying they should have completely mailed it in...but getting Giolito, Lopez, Leone, Cron and Grichuk, and having only the relievers actually doing anything...might be a sign that going for it may not have been the best idea.
For a while, I was actually a fan of the Angels' approach, especially when they got Eduardo Escobar and Mike Moustakas as bench bats, y'know, back when the team was good. Moose is actually still hitting pretty well, he's got a .268 average, 24 RBIs and 7 homers in 35 games, and it's really the most he's offered a team since leaving Milwaukee. But the more you look at these moves, the more you realize what they're really for: a hail mary to save the ailing core of the team. Brandon Drury is the only survivor of the Opening Day infield; Walsh is gone, Fletcher's in the minors and Rendon's injured again. Even Zach Neto, who was having a nice rookie year, is hurt again. So that means the reinforcements are in, and that Luis Rengifo, the usual 'break in case of emergency' infield choice, and Andrew Velaszquez, last year's starting shortstop, are up and working. Of the two of them, Rengifo at least has his moments at the plate.
And honestly, the team's own youth movement hasn't exactly been helping the cause itself. Both Michael Stefanic and Trey Cabbage fell off after a week or so, and are back in the minors. Logan O'Hoppe was having a terrific rookie year but he's gone for the rest of the season. Jordyn Adams, a long-gestating first-rounder, is up and hasn't done anything yet. Even Livan Soto, who impressed in 20 games last September, couldn't get anything done during a brief call-up. So I get why they went for the veterans. But the veterans aren't doing much either. And that's really disappointing.
Many of this season's feel good stories, such as Carlos Estevez soaring in the ninth, Canning and Sandoval getting having strong stretches, and Taylor Ward once again impressing at the plate, have all subsided, leaving only Ohtani and his inevitable MVP season. And I hate that after all of this, it's gonna be just about Ohtani. I hate that no matter how hard they try, they just can't develop this team into a decent defender. Maybe it'll be easier once Ohtani's gone, and they actually have space to build a younger team. Because this model continues to not work, and it may be time for a different approach.
The Mariners are now the quirky AL West wild card favorites people can get behind to potentially lap Houston. The Angels can't even say that anymore. But at least they'll end the year with Lucas Giolito and his 9 ERA.
Coming Tomorrow- I really thought he was cooked. I really did. And yet here he is, trying to keep his team in the playoff race.
Yup.
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